Buffing mechanism for car-platforms.



G. T. WBSTLAKE & G. P. FREDE. BUFFING MECHANISM FOR GAR PLATFORMS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1911.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912 /N VEN TOR 5 CHHRLES T- WESTLfi/(E 5 F- s 5 M w w struction,

- line??? of Fig.

Co nonsL n BonY BOLSTER COMPANY, 'N wjJnRs eY.

s'r. LOUIS, MIssoUnL-A CORPORATIONOF i BUFFING MEoIrANrsr/r FOR CAR-PLATFORMS.

'To aZZ whom it may concern: I

Be. itltnown thatwe, CHARLES T. WEST- LAKE anal CrniRLns RFREDE, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Louis, lllissouri, have invented a certain new and useful lmprovementin Bufiing Mechanism for Car-Platforms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inv which,

Figure- 1 isa top plan View of a cast metal platform with portions of the buffer beam and end sill, and showing the buffing mechanism in positionthereon. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken approximately on the tached from the platform. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectiontaken on line 33 'ofxF 1g. 1.

' Fig.4 is across section taken on line 4-1 of-Fig. 1.

This invention relates generally to railway car platform construction, and more, particularly to the buffing mechanism ap-' plied to cast metal platforms such as are- -now in generaluse in passenger car-conand the principal objects of the the skeleton platinvention are to construct that a form of form and: buffer beam so bufling mechanism now in use on a number of passenger cars, and of a type accepted by the M.- C. 13., 403,11 be readily applied to the platform and-buffer beam, and further to provide a construction ating parts of the bufling wherein the opermechanism can be readily-placedrln or removed from position .Without detaching the vestibule or the buffer b eam from-its stems, thereby permitting the balling. mechanism to be easily and quickly "repaired when any of the operating parts have become broken or unfit for service.

With the aboveobjects in view our invention consists in certain novel features of con StI'LlCtlOll' and arrangement of parts here1nafter-more: fully-described and claimed.

Re drawings theynumeral ldesignates the end sill of a cast metal .car underfra ne ofthe type'now ini-general use, and formed integral with andprojecting' forwardly there- -frorn is a skeletonplatform frame I of a series of' vertie'ally dipper I edges of' which composed disposed webs 2 the are provided with Specification of Letters Patentw Application filed November 6, 191-1.

ber 6 1 with the bufling gear deferrin in detail to the accom an 'in 6 b the housing 17 v I Patentcd nee-10,1912 salaries-655,812. i

Y flanges 3, and formedr integral with or fixed tothe forward ends'of said webs 2 is a buffer beam 4 of the usual box shape. Located on top of the central portion of this buffer beam is a threshold plate 5, and positioned in front of the buffer beam 4: is a bufiing memprovided on top with a horizontally disposed plate 7 which is adapted to slide beneath the threshold plate 5. The batter 6 is carried by the forward ends of a pairof side buffer stems 8 and the central portion of said buffer bears against the forward end of a center buffer stem 9, and all of these stems are arranged to slide freely through corresponding openings 10 formed through the front and rearwalls of the buffer beam 5.

The numeral 11 designates a pair of vertically disposed walls which are parallel with the webs 2 and which are formed integlial. with and extend lengthwise between the central portions of the end sill and buffer beam, and the space between these walls is occupied by the center vbutting gear. Formed integral with the lower portions of these walls and extending rearwardly a short distance from the rear wall ofthe bulfer beam is a horizontally disposed plate 12, and formed integral with the rear end of this .plate immediately adjacent the walls 11 is rear ends of these' flanges 14 are lugs 15.

Formed integral with the rear portions of the walls'll adjacent the front wall of the end sill 1 is a transversely disposed wall 16, and formed integral therewith and with" the walls 11 is a housing 17 in which is formed, a pair of pockets l8 adapted'to receive the rear ends of a pair of the center buffing gear springs. Formed integral with the lower portions of the walls 11 on the inner faces thereof, and extending from the lugs 13 to are vhorizontally disposed flanges 19 on top of which are formed bearing ribsQO, and whichlatter 'a-reengaged byparts of'the center-bufling gear. Formed on'the inner faces of the walls 11 immedi-,

so The numeral 31 deslgnates follower plates '60. .Under norma conditions. the expanded buffer stems are likewise moved inward, thereby simultaneously compressing all of the springs of the buffing gear, and as said springs are compressed they yieldingly re.- sist the inward movement of the buffer and 70 bufiing mechanism until the buffer has been moved to a point where the coupling of the cars is effected.

During the movement of the parts of the bufling gear occupying the pocket between 75 the walls 11 the follower blocks 24 and 27 and the ends of the curved leaf springs 28 bear upon the ribs 20 and against the ribs 21. These parts are held in operative position by the plates 22 and the forward fol- 80 lower block 23 is held in operative position by the ribs 14. I v .By our improved construction, which is comparatively simple and can be readily manufactured, the skeleton platform and bufler beam are arranged to readily accommodate an accepted form of buffing gear, and thus the platform and buffing beam are combined to provide a very strong and serviceable construction, and the various parts of 90 the buffing gear can be easily and quicklyplaced in proper position upon the beam and platform or removed therefrom without detaching the vestibule or the buffer from its stems, and thereby said construe- .95 tion is especially advantageous and desirable when it is necessary .to make repairs or to renew any parts which have become worn or broken in service.

It will be readily understood that minor 100 changes. in the size, form and'co-nstruction of the various parts of our improved bufling mechanism can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of our invention, 10: the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

. 1. In a bufiing mechanism of the class described, the combination with a car under- 11 frame end sill, of a skeleton platform integral therewith, a buffer beam, a pair of vertically disposed walls forming a part of the latform and extending between the end sill and buffer beam, bufling gear supporting 1 flanges integral with the inner faces of said walls, bufling gear bearing ribs integral with said flanges and with the inner faces of the walls, and a spring housing integral with said walls between the rear ends, thereof. 1

2. In a buffing mechanism of the class described, the combination of a car underframeend sill, a buffer beam of a series of longitudinally extending vertically disposed walls between the central pair of which walls is formed a pocket adapted to receive the center stem bufier gear, buifer gear supporting flanges formed integral with said central pair of walls, buffing gear bearing ribs formed on said supporting flanges, and the ately above the bearing ribs 20 are longi-' tudinally extending ribs 21 which serve as bearings for the ends of the bufling gear which operates uponthe ribs'20. 5 The numeral 22 designates retaining plates for parts of the butting gear locatedbetween the walls 11 and the ends of-these plates rest upon and are fixed to the lugs and the top of the housing 17 10 The numeral .23 designates a front follower block which occupies a position in the pocket between the walls 11 immediately adjacent the rear wall of the beam 4, and the rear end of the center buffer stem 9 bears 15 directly against this follower block. The

, ends of this block occupy positions beneath the flanges 14, and thus said block is held'm proper operative position during its backward and forward movements. The numeral 24. designates an intermediate follower block positioned in the central portion of the pocket between the walls 11, and the ends of which intermediate block bear upon the ribs 20 and against the ribs 21. The

lugs 13 form stops to engage the ends of this intermediate follower block and limit the forward movement thereof. Interpos'ed between the blocks 23 and 24; is a comparatively heavy coil spring 25.

The numeral 26 designates coil springs,

therear ends of which are posiioned in the pockets 18, and bearing against the forward ends of said coil springs is a rear follower -block 27,-the ends of which bear upon the 5 ribs 20- and' against the ribs 21, and said ends occupy positions beneath the retaining plates Interp'osed between the blocks 24;

v and 27 is a series of curved leaf springs 28, the ends of which occupy, positions beneath 40 the retaining plates 22 a d bear upon and against the rlbs 20 and 21 espectively. Formed integral with the central portions of the walls 11 and the adjacent pair of webs 2 are transversely disposed plates 29 through which are formed 0 enings which receive the rear ends ofthe si e buffer stems SL The ends of these side buffer stems which project through the openings in the plates 29 are threaded and receive nuts 30.

which are mounted on the central portions of the side buffer stems 8 against the should1'S :formed between the square or noncircular forward portions of said stems and the rounded rear portions thereof, and mounted on the rounded rear portions 0 said stemsand interposed between the follower plates 31 and the walls 29 are coil springs 32. Y

side buffer springs 32 hold the buffer 6 at its outer, limit of movement, as shown in Fig.1, and during the coupling of two cars the buffer 6 is moved inward toward the buffer beam 4, and as a result, all of the 'ings for the rear ends of the side buffer center butting gear, which removable plates are ,positionedat the sides'of the pocket to the rear of the fixed retaining flanges, a spring housing integral with the webs at the rear end of the pocket and bufing gear bearing ribs on the supporting flanges and the inner faces of the webs at the sides of the pocket.

5. In a bailing mechanism of the class described, the combination with a car underframe end sill, of a cast metal platform comprising a series of longitudinally extending vertically disposed webs between a pair of which webs is formed a pocket for the center buffing gear, an end sill integral with the platform bailing gear, supporting flanges integral with the webs at sides of thepocket, butting gear retaining flanges integral with the webs at the forward end of the pocket, lugs integral with the rear ends of said flanges, removable retaining plates for the center bulfing gear, which removable plates are positioned at the sides of the pocket to the rear of the fixed retaining flanges, a spring housing integral with the webs at the rear end of the pocket, bnfling gear bearing ribs on inner faces of the central pair of walls, buif- I ing gear stop lugs, arranged in pairs on the inner faces of said central pair of walls, I bufling gear retaining plates detachably applied to said walls, transversely disposed plates integral with the center pair of walls, andthe adjacent side walls, which last mentioned plates are perforated to form bearstems. g 3. In a butting mechanism of'the class de scribed, the combination with a car underframe end sill, of a skeleton platform inte-- gral therewith, a. buffer beam, a pair of vertically disposed walls forming a part of'the platform and extending between the end sill and buffer beam, buffing gear supporting flanges integral with the inner faces of said walls, bailing gear bearing ribs integral with said flanges and with the inner faces of the walls lugs on said supporting flanges for parts of the bufling gear operating thereon, retaining flanges integral with the upper portions of the forward ends of said walls, lugs onthe rear ends of said retaining flanges which lugs are in vertical alinel l l l ment with the lugs on the supporting the supporting flanges and the inner faces flanges, and a spring housing integral with of the webs atthe sides of the pocket, and

said walls between the rear ends thereof.

4. In a buffing mechanism of the class described, the combination with a car underframe end sill, of" a cast metal platform comprising a series of longitudinally extending Vertically disposed webs between a pair of which webs is formed a pocket for the center butting gear, an end sill integral with the platform bufling gear, supporting flanges integral with the webs at sides of the lugs formed on the supporting flanges, which lugs together with the lugs on the ends of the projecting flanges form stops to limit the forward movement of parts of the buffing gear.

In.testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures in the presence or two witnesses, this 28th day of October, 1911.

CHARLES T. WESTLAKE. CHARLES F. FREDE.

pocket, bufllng gear retaining flanges inte- Witnesses: gral with the webs at the forward end of the B. E. KUHL,

pocket, removable retaining plates for the HAL C. BELLVILLE. 

